Cuspidor-cleaner



(No Model.)

M. BARGER. GUSPIDOR CLEANER.

No. 439,740. Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IWIYNDERT BARGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CUSPlDOR-CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,740, dated November4, 1890.

Application filed May 17, 1890- To all whom it may concern.- v

Be it known that I, MYNDERT BARGER, a subject of the King of Holland,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cuspidor-Cleaners, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel device for cleaning cuspidors.

The contour of a large class of cuspidors in general use embraces,essentially, an outwardly and upwardly, flaring mouth and a spherical oroutwardly-bulging. bowl or body portion at the lower or contractedportion of the mouth. The popularity of cuspidors of this shape islargely due to the fact that they receive and conceal the matterdeposited therein in an efficient manner, and also that they can bemanufactured very cheaply from a great variety of materials.

Cuspidors generally, owing to the particular use to which they are put,are difficult and inconvenient to clean; but this difficulty isincreased in the class of cuspidors above referred to by reason of theirbulging internal configuration and comparatively small mouth.

The object of this invention is to provide a device for cleaningcuspidors that can be easily and successfully operated without theexercise of skill, and that is durable, simple, and inexpensive tomanufacture, and that can be quickly and easily applied to a cuspidor,and which when operated will thoroughly clean the flaring mouth and bowlat the same time. One of the main objects in a device of this kind issimplicity and durability, for the reason that such devices are nothandled and operated by careful and painstaking persons, and it is ofthe greatest im portance that it should be compact and strong.

To these ends my invention consists in the features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a device embodyingmy invention applied to a cuspidor, partly in side elevation, and invertical section on the line Z Z of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

In said drawings, a cuspidor A is shown in dotted lines, and comprisesthe outwardly- Serial No. 352,260. (No model.)

flaring mouth a and the outwardly-bulging or spherical bowl a.

The cuspidor-cleaner comprises, broadly, a revoluble shaft B, providednear one end thereof with brushes or cleaning devices B and B which areadapted for insertion into a cuspidor, and suitable devices forcentering or steadying said shaft, so that it can be revolved centrallywithin a cuspidor. I have shown said brushes as being composed of tuftsor bunches of bristles; but it is obvious that any suitable material canbe employed for this purpose. The said brush B is adapted for cleaningthe mouth of the cuspidor, and has its end made at an incline tocorrespond with the outward flare of the mouth a. The length of saidbrush B is such that it extends the entire length of the mouth of thecuspidor and is long enough to be applied to different sizes. brush B,and said block is provided with an opening through which the shaft Bpasses, and the block is secured to the shaft by means of set-screws b17, having their heads exposed and passing through the block andabutting against said shaft. It will be further seen that by means ofsaid set-screws the position of the block 1) upon the shaft can bevaried to adjust the brush B to suit cuspidors of varying shapes andsizes, although it may be stated that there is a great similarity insize and shape between cuspidors of this class.

The brush B is adapted for operating within the bowl a of the cuspidor.In the drawings said bowl ct and brush ]3 are made semicircular ineontou r, although it is manifest that any other shape can be adopted,the essen-' tial feature being to have the brush B about the same shapeas the bowl. The said brush B is carried by a block b which is providedwith an opening through which the shaft B passes, said block being heldrigid upon the shaft by means of set-screws b 19 passing through theblock and engaging said shaft. The said brush B? is located at the endof the shaft, and the lower part 1) thereof is straight to reach thebottom of the cuspidor, said straight portion 12 extending to or beyondthe center of revolution, so that when the brush is revolved the entirebottom surface A block 19 carries said of the euspidor will be actedupon. It will also be noted that the brush B is also longitudinallyadjustable upon the shaft B, thereby adapting the device to cuspidors ofvarying shapes and sizes. The said brushes as a whole are located atright angles to the shaft B, and project radially therefrom in oppositedirections, as shown. The parts for sustaining and revolving said shaftare constructed as follows: A circular cap-plate C is provided centrallywith a bearing-aperture 0, through which the said shaft passes and fitsnicely. The outer edge of the plate (3 is provided with a down-turnedmarginal flange 0. The said cap-plate is made about the size of themouth of a euspidor, so that it rests on the top thereof with theannular flange embracing the outer edge of the said mouth, therebyholding said plate Stationary to provide a rigid bearing for the shaft.The said cap-plate also serves as a cover for the euspidor to preventany water from splashing therefrom during the cleaning thereof. Tofurnish another bearing for the shaft a top plate C is provided, whichhas a bearing-aperture C for the shaft, which aperture 0 is in registerwith the other bearing-aperture c. The said top plate is sus tained at asuitable distance from the capplate 0 by means of a plurality of rods orposts 0 0 secured at the opposite ends to said plates. The shaft 13extends above the top plate 0', and is there provided with a crank orhandle B for turning the said shaft and revolving the brushes. Saidhandle B can be secured to the shaft by any desired means; but I haveherein shown the end of the shaft reduced and screw-threaded, and anut 1) upon the end of the shaft and holding the handle or crank rigidtherewith.

The manner of using this device will be to apply the brushes B and B tothe euspidor with the cap-plate resting on the top thereof. The operatorthen holds the cleaner in such position and revolves the brushes bymeans of the crank 13, and thus cleans the euspidor in an obviousmanner.

It will be noted that the rods or posts or other connections between thecap-plate and the top plate provide means for holding and steadying thedevice when in use, and also serve as a handle by which the device canbe carried and manipulated. Said handle is suifr ciently protected fromthe cleaning devices and will not be soiled or made unclean thereby.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I provide a highlyefficient and use fnl article. The parts are so simple and soeasilymanufactured that the device is strong The general arrangement andinexpensive.

of the parts provide a firm and solid bearing:

for the shaft, and the arrangement of the brushes on opposite sides ofthe shaft serves to further steady the shaft.

I am aware that devices have been invented and patented for washing orcleaning the interior of hollow articles-such as milk-cans,lamp-ehinn1eys,and the like; but in such devices the parts do notpossess the requisite strength that a euspidor-cleaner must possess,owing to the different uses to which they are put. Furthermore, suchdevices are provided with springs and are adapted to be placed withinthe hollow object in acontracted position and thereafter expanded. Allthese functions tend to increase the number of parts comprised by theapparatus, thereby decreasing its durability and increasing its cost.The device herein shown is not collapsible and is not provided with anysmall or weak parts; but the numberof parts is reduced to a minimum andthey are made in as durable a manner as possible.

I claim as my invention 1. A euspidor-cleaner having a revoluble shaft,a downwardly and inwardly inclined brush B for cleaning the mouth of aeuspidor, and a curved brush B for cleaning the bowl thereof, saidbrushes being rigidly and iminovably secured to said shaft,substantially as described.

2. A euspidor-cleaner having a revoluble shaft, and .cleanerbrushessecured to said shaft and longitudinally adjustable thereon,substantially as described.

A euspidor-cleaner having a revoluble shaft, a curved brush B located atone end of said shaft for cleaning the bowl of a cuspidor, and adownwardly and inwardly inclined brush 13 upon the shaft for cleaningthe month of a euspidor, said brush B being located above said brush 13and upon the opposite side of the shaft, substantially as de scribed.

41-. A euspidor-cleanerhaving a top plate 0, a cap-plate C,bearing-apertures in said plates, connections between said plates providing ahandle for the device, a revoluble shaft passing through saidbearing-apertures and provided near one end with brushes B and B, saidcap-plate being adapted to rest upon the edge of the euspidor andprovided with a marginal flange 0 for holding it thereon, substantiallyas described.

MYNDERT BARGER. \Vitnesses:

HARRY Conn KENNEDY, CHAS. G. PAGE.

